Networking: The How To. Relationships. Giving, and More…By Admin

April 6, 2010

The Great Workplace/ Network North East Ohio has a tagline: “Network With Purpose ™”, and I call it “Network On Purpose”. Both are right, and both cover a myriad of directions to those who wish to build solid and profitable business or social relationships.

The topic is networking, but before we talk about networking and relationships I need to let you in on a secret.Some of you have probably heard rumblings and rumors around town about the “alleged” recession.I call it “alleged” because while the statistics demonstrate that we’re in a recession, those are just statistics. The reality is that no matter what situation you’re in and no matter what business you’re in, at the end of this “alleged” recession we will still have an economy and industries will not go away.However, the question is, “Who will still be in those industries?”

I am Jeff Nischwitz. Many consider me to be an ultimate networker, a person who helps other people connect to their goals through helping other people connect to theirs. Networking is about people, creativity, ideas, and resources. It is about relationships and it is about thinking differently than you have before.

My title in my company,Think Again Coaching , is Chief Question Officer because I focus on asking the right questions.If you’re in business, the question should not be how the economy is going to affect you or how the “alleged” recession is going to impact you.The right questions are, “How do I excel despite this “alleged” recession?” and, “What can I do today to be the one who is on top at the end of this “alleged” recession?” If you’re an employee in a company, you should not be asking, “Am I going to have a job?”Instead, you should be asking, “What can I do today and tomorrow to make sure that I’m one of the people who still have a job?”These are different questions and different approaches that change everything.

Why all of this talk about the “alleged” recession when the topic is networking? Because networking is about building relationships and relationships are the only way to recession-proof your business and your career.If you don’t have a relationship with your customers or your clients, you are subject to losing every one of them.It’s easy to leave a vendor, but it’s very hard to leave a relationship.Just as important, relationships are the sure path to business success and personal satisfaction, in both business and in life.In short, relationships not only make the world go around…they allow us to leverage our valuable resources (typically time and money) to achieve incredible results and impact.

In the coming days, weeks and months I’ll be sharing with you thoughts about networking and relationship building.Some of the ideas will be strategic and some will be tactical.Some of the ideas will be “new” to you, but some will be things you’ve heard before, but perhaps you haven’t been effective at implementing and living them.People build relationships, and effective relationship building happens when people are living relationship based ideas, approaches and attitudes (not just talking about them or simply meeting people).

The Great Workplace is about people connecting, engaging and collaborating. We’ll be sharing strategies, tactics, ideas, approaches and attitudes that will help you to be more effective, achieve greater results, and to create more positive impact…for yourself, for your employer, for your community, and for your region! Stay tuned to The Great Workplace, your relationship, collaboration and impact resource. Connect, Engage, Collaborate ™.